1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to athletic training devices. In particular, the invention is a baseball batting practice device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Any discussion of a great baseball player will undoubtedly include a reference to such statistics as batting average, home runs and runs batted in. Batting skills are in fact one of a baseball player's greatest assets. The player will typically devote much time and effort to develop these skills.
Batting practice is one commonly-used training technique. By repeatedly swinging a bat the batter will develop the hand-eye coordination and muscles required to consistently hit pitches during a game. The prior art discloses a variety of devices which assist in this training.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,670 to Smith discloses a pair of simulated baseballs mounted to opposite ends of an arm. The center of the arm is rotatably mounted to a post. U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,131 issued to St. Clair, Jr. discloses a stand which supports a baseball. The batter must have a level swing to hit the ball. The Mueller U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,030, Zalewski U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,464 and Beam U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,916 disclose batting practice devices in which a baseball is resiliently mounted to a frame. These devices return the baseball to the practice position after it has been struck by the bat. U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,044 to Miniere discloses a batting practice device in which a target, such as an automobile tire, is pivotally mounted to a support.
The Russo et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,733 discloses a batting practice device in which a pair of target members extend inwardly from either side of a C-shaped frame. The overlap of the two target members can be adjusted to vary the amount of force required to swing the bat through the two target members. U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,036 to Sinclair discloses a device whereby a batter must swing the bat through a plurality of vertically disposed resilient members. By adjusting the overlap of the resilient members the force of the swing required by the batter can be varied.
What is needed is a batting practice device which closely simulates the "feel" of a baseball when struck. The force which the practice device applies to the bat when struck should be adjustable to allow for the batter's increasing strength. The device should absorb the shock of the hit and prevent rebounding. A batting practice device allowing for easy height adjustment to accommodate different size batters is desirable. The batting practice device should allow a batter to practice swinging at outside and inside pitches as well.